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Eurofins >> Consumer Product Testing >> Media Centre >> News >> Food Contact Materials | Monthly bulletin | April 2020

Food Contact Materials | Monthly bulletin | April 2020

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Eurofins newsflash Food Contact Materials

Regulatory news - Eurofins updates 

 

Regulatory news


 

Europe

 

New Circular Economy Action Plan

 

On 11th March 2020, European Commission published the new Circular Economy Action Plan for a cleaner and more competitive Europe. The plan presents a set of interrelated initiatives to establish a strong and coherent product policy. Further measures will be put in place to reduce waste and ensure that the EU has a well-functioning internal market for high quality secondary raw materials. The capacity of the EU to take responsibility for its waste will be also strengthened. This document is addressed to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.

 

For getting the official publication, go the European Commission website here.

 

Technical publications

 

Please find below a table summarising the most recent technical publications on food contact materials (non-exhaustive):

 

Date

Countries

Entity

Title

12-02-2020

France

Direction de l'information légale et administrative (Premier ministre)

The law relating to the fight against waste and the circular economy was published in the Official Journal

 

For more information, please click here

20-02-2020

Germany

German Environment Agency (UBA)

UBA published the results of a study investigating the suitability of potential substitutes for the chemical bisphenol A (BPA; CAS 80-05-7)

 

Bewertung des endokrinen Potenzials von Bisphenol Alternativstoffen in umweltrelevanten Verwendungen.” (in German)

26-02-2020

Europe

European Commission (EC)

EC published documents about the last meeting held by the working group on food contact materials (FCM) of the toxicological safety section of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SC-PAFF)

28-02-2020

Europe

European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) 

The JRC launched an inter-laboratory comparison study to identify and harmonise methods to measure microplastics in water

 

Finding the right methods for measuring microplastics in water

 

Public consultations

 

Please find below a table summarising the most recent public consultation on food contact materials (non-exhaustive):

 

Date

Countries

Entity

Title

05-02-2020

Europe

Council of Europe

Until 16th March 2020, open consultation on a set of general technical provisions on food contact materials and articles and specific provisions for paper and board food contact materials and articles, to be appended at an upcoming Council of Europe meeting, is ongoing

 

For more information, visit the Council of Europe’s website here

24-02-2020

Europe

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

EFSA published its draft scientific opinion on the risks to human health arising from the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food, currently under public consultation until 20 April 2020

 

For more information, please visit the EFSA’s website here

16-03-2020

Thailand

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Thailand

FDA opened a public consultation to determine the quality or standard of containers made of plastic, in order to improve the notification in the Ministry of Public Health (Issue 295) 2005. It is considering allowing plastic containers made from recycled plastic pellets

 

Therefore, the FDA wants to compile information about the reactants that are used in the production of plastics. Containers to be reviewed are made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (Polyethylene terephthalate; PET) and High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

 

Comments may be submitted until 10th April 2020

 

To view the official questionnaire, please visit the Food and Drug Administration’s website here

 

International

 

Regulatory proposals notified to WTO

 

Please see the below table summarising the most recent notifications made to the World Trade Organization (WTO) (non-exhaustive):

 

Notification number

Countries

Title

G/TBT/N/IND/140

India

Plain Copier Paper (Quality Control) Order, 2020

 

As mentioned in the Plain Copier Paper (Quality Control) Order, 2020, as attached

 

Product Recalls / Alerts

 

Below you will find a monthly summary table of product recalls and alerts in Europe (Source “RASFF”) and in the US (Source “CPSC”).

 

Europe

 

RASFF (European Commission Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed - Alerts reported by EU national authorities).

 

The following 16 alerts regarding Food Contact Materials were reported from the 16th February of 2020 to 15th March of 2020.

 

Product

Substance / Hazard

Metal baking pans

Migration of aluminium (9.1 mg/kg - ppm)

Details

Melamine plates

Migration of melamine (4.59 mg/kg - ppm)

Details

Melamine decorated children plates

Migration of melamine (4.58 mg/kg - ppm)

Details

Silicone moulds

Migration of volatile organic constituents (1.5-1.8 %)

Details

Bamboo lunch boxes

Migration of formaldehyde (48.4 mg/kg - ppm) and of melamine (16.7 mg/kg - ppm)

Details

Set of kitchen tools

Migration of volatile organic constituents (1.4 mg/kg - ppm)

Details

Grill

Migration of nickel (0.277 mg/l)

Details

Pliers and barbeque set

Migration of chromium (3.6 mg/kg - ppm) and too high level of overall migration (18 mg/dm²)

Details

Melamine plates

Migration of melamine (3.64 mg/kg - ppm)

Details

Aluminium trays

Too high level of overall migration (10.5 mg/dm²)

Details

Slotted turner

Migration of primary aromatic amines (0.4200 mg/kg - ppm)

Details

Nylon spoons

Migration of primary aromatic amines (0.6459 mg/kg - ppm)

Details

Cans containing peeled tomatoes

Inner coating peeling off

Details

Muffin tins

3-monochlor-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD) (48.9; 70 µg/l) and 1,3-dichloropropanol (1,3-DCP) (2.1; 2 µg/l)

Details

Plastic bowls

Migration of melamine (3.82 mg/kg - ppm)

Details

Pressure cookers

Migration of aluminium (68.2 mg/kg - ppm)

Details

 

US

 

From the 16th February of 2020 to the 15th March of 2020, the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) published the following recalls: 0 recalls regarding Food Contact Materials.

 

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